One of the best things about having a smartphone or tablet are the variety of apps that are available for download. You remember the “Candy Crush” era, right? Well our kids are also bombarded with advertisements to download the latest apps. With so many apps at our fingertips, how do we know if any of them are being used to harm our kids?
As parents raising “digital natives” we’re going to have to learn to navigate this world with them in age appropriate ways. Here are some suggestions for parents from Social Media Intelligence expert, Dr. Steven Webb:
- Parents should control the apps that their kids are downloading on every device.
- Do your research on every app your child wants to download.
- Make sure the app is geared toward your child’s age group.
- Be sure that privacy settings are as safe as possible.
- Talk to your child about the app.
It’s important to know if your child is having contact with strangers via the app and if they’ve experienced any cyberbullying. Parenting challenges are very real in the age of technology, but as parents, we have to be informed and aware in order to help our kids stay safe in this digital world.
